A seaside town of two parts, St Leonards and Hastings are parvenus when it comes to seaside cachet, but as a result they’ve got more of a quirky vibe than their neighbours Eastbourne and Brighton. You can get the train journey there down to under 90 minutes if you go via St Pancras and change at Ashford.
Lury
Hastings - 8 Cambridge Rd, Hastings TN34 1DJ
Lury comes from husband-and-wife team Jack Lury and Issy Cianchi, and it's quite unlike anything else in Hastings. They serve a changing tasting menu to just 10 guests per sitting. For the menu, Jack draws on his British and Sri Lankan heritage, particularly the Burgher cooking of his grandparents. Expect dishes like black pork curry with milk bun or poached halibut with spiced fondant potato. The restaurant has a design that aims to feel like you've stepped into a (very well presented) private home for dinner and they also have a rotating artist in residence.
Follow them on Instagram: @lury_restaurant
Bayte
St Leonards - 45-46 Kings Rd, Saint Leonards-on-sea TN37 6DY
Lury comes from husband-and-wife team Jack Lury and Issy Cianchi, and it's quite unlike anything else in Hastings. They serve a changing tasting menu to just 10 guests per sitting. For the menu, Jack draws on his British and Sri Lankan heritage, particularly the Burgher cooking of his grandparents. Expect dishes like black pork curry with milk bun or poached halibut with spiced fondant potato. The restaurant has a design that aims to feel like you've stepped into a private home for dinner and they also have a rotating artist in residence.
Follow them on Instagram: @bayte_stleonards
Farmyard Wine
St Leonards - 52 Kings Road, St Leonards-on-Sea, Hastings TN37 6DY
This restaurant and wine bar was opened in 2019 by former Evening Standard food writer Ben and his wife Kate. Sustainability is at the heart of what they do, so expect a very locavore menu with lesser-used cuts of meat. The wine list specialises in natural, biodynamic and low-intervention wines. The duo are also behind Boat Yard - the cafe and bar at Hastings Contemporary Art Gallery - and are involved in Heist Market, a food and drink collab which will feature a bar, restaurant and more and is opening this summer.
Follow them on Instagram: @farmyardwine.
The Royal
St Leonards - 1 St Johns Road, St Leonards-on-sea, East Sussex TN37 6HP
This 18th-century pub has recently had a new lease of life, opening last summer with James Hickson and Sam Coxhead, who previously worked together at Great Queen Street, The Canton Arms, and St John. They went straight onto the 50 Best Gastropubs list with their dishes of rabbit nicoise and onglet tagliata.
Follow them on Instagram: @the_royal_st_leonards
St Clements
St Leonards - 3 Mercatoria, Saint Leonards-on-sea TN38 0EB
The menu at this lovely local spot changes incredibly regularly, so expect to find dishes made from whatever was good at the fishmonger or grocer that morning. So there might be fresh white crab with buttery new potatoes, samphire grass & lemon mayo or even Blue Cheese Ice Cream with Hazelnut Praline & Poached Pears.
Follow them on Instagram: @stclementsstleonards
Plus: look out for Goat Ledge on the seafront serving up fish baps, katsu fries and more.
Badger Inc is worth keeping an eye for their supperclub series with The One Armed Chef.
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